Nursing as a Spiritual Practice

Florence Nightingale is widely regarded as the founder of modern nursing. What is less well known is that she also had well-developed ideas about the spiritual aspects of nursing care. Her views draw from both Eastern and Western spiritual traditions and have a startling relevance to nursing practice today. Janet Macrae, both a Nightingale scholar and a nationally recognized expert on therapeutic touch, outlines Nightingale's ideas on spirituality in this book and discusses how a variety of techniques can be used to implement a more spiritual and humane form of nursing care. The techniques, which include yoga, meditation, and relaxation exercises can be used by both nurses and patients.